Album review: MORGANWAY – Kill The Silence

Earache Records [Release date 31.01.25]

Morganway are back with a new album and their line-up remains as on their 2023 release ‘Back To Zero’, namely Callum Morgan (vocals, bass), Kieran Morgan (guitar, vocals), SJ Mortimer (lead vocalist), Matt Brocklehurst (keyboards, vocals), Nicole J Terry (fiddle, vocals) and Ed Bullinger (drums, vocals).

As SJ Mortimer explains, “This truly feels like a new chapter for us. We poured our souls, blood, sweat, and tears into this album. There’s magic in recording music the “old school” way – plugging in together and playing live, warts and all!”

They certainly achieve this on opener ‘Don’t Turn the Lights On Yet’, one of Morganway’s trademark Americana infused foot stompers. This is followed by ‘Boy On A Train’ – a song that demands repeated plays – and ‘Feels Like Letting Go’, another frantic piece of rock n roll meets Americana.

‘Edge of the Sun’ and ‘Kill the Silence’ bring the tempo down nicely, with the latter featuring a dreamy vocal from CJ Mortimer. When they play these sort of songs Fleetwood Mac always come to this reviewer’s mind, and yes, Morganway are in that league with their songs and harmonizing.

‘Halfway Tonight’ is another single in the waiting. Lovely piece of pop/folk rock a la Waterboys, whilst ‘Surrender’ features a passionate mix of guitar, piano and fiddle – almost Pink Floyd in parts!

They literally knock it out of the park on ‘I Feel the Rain’. A song complete with big guitar riffs, epic rock touches and all in just over six minutes. That is part of the beauty of this album as just when you think you have the measure of their sound, along comes a song like ‘I Feel the Rain’ or the soothing album closer, ‘We Sing’.

Morganway have an album here with a wide appeal and a few supports/joint headliners with the likes of say Brave Rival or Skerryvore would help their fanbase grow even bigger. What a great musical start to the year. ****

Review by Jason Ritchie

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